Junior Ranger Scouts Pack 914
by Deston
Summary: Almost twenty years later after his life-changing experience, Nick responds to an assistant pack leader ad for the Junior Ranger Scouts. And it happens to be the same pack he was driven out of years ago. This story follows Nick as he faces his past and tries to connect with a group of young mammals in a way he wished someone had when he was a kit.
1. Blast from the Past

"You know, Fluff, when I teased you about getting a hobby, I wasn't suggesting that free time was necessarily a _bad_ thing," Nick jeered as Judy joined him at the small corner table of the sleek café, her eyes shooting a quick glare at him following his quip. The other patrons shuffled around without notice, a steady flow constantly leaving and being replaced with new customers. Nick gave a quick wave to the opossum that owned the café as he walked by with an order for a group of four ferrets heatedly discussing Zootopian politics at a nearby booth.

Through the glass panels lining the front of the café, Nick could observe the everyday hustle and bustle of downtown Zootopia. There were few things he liked more than sitting back and watching mammals going about their lives and the interactions that came along with them. He couldn't help but try to guess at the stories behind each one, turning it into his personal drama program. The slightly annoyed business mammal walking by might have just lost a deal that would have given him that long awaited promotion. Those two young hedgehogs could have had everyone else fooled, but Nick could make out the hints of hesitation, pointing to a romantic attraction that neither had found the nerve to express to the other yet. Perhaps today would be the day. Suddenly, He was pulled back to his partner at the soft sigh of irritation she released.

"Well, instead of crying to me every time you have nothing to do," Judy responded, a small touch of annoyance laced in her words, "why don't _you_ find yourself a hobby?" Nick felt himself smirk, sporting his well practiced grin. He watched the features of Judy's face, something he'd quickly become accustomed to (not to mention extremely proficient at) while fending for himself on the streets. Her brows, furrowed up slightly with exasperation, seemed to soften for just a second when her eyes caught his, and he could swear her cheeks tinged almost imperceptibly. Her eyes diverted to the ground for just a second before shooting back up to meet his again.

"And miss a chance to spend time with my favuwite bunny evew?" Nick he asked in the most childish voice he could muster while lightly pinching Judy's cheek. "Never!" he finished, quickly letting go of her to drop his arms back to his signature pose: one hanging lazily over the chair and the other gripping what was left of his drink. Her annoyance came back for just a second, followed by a roll of her eyes and a shy grin of her own. The edges of Nick's mouth rose slightly without intention at the sight of her small smile.

"I mean, if you really want to come with me to my cousin's baby shower," she jokingly offered, her head now resting on one paw and her face mirroring his earlier smug smile, "you could tag along. Seriously, there's not a whole lot more entertaining than a colony of does all gushing over the wonders of childrearing, wouldn't you agree?" She really was getting much better with the sarcasm these days, something that he liked to claim as one of his greatest achievements.

"While that does sound oh-so tempting, little miss cottontail, I would just hate to distract all of your bunny buddies with my inescapable charm," he retorted without missing so much as a second. It earned him a small chuckle from the rabbit across the table that left him with a warmth in his chest. Judy pulled her head up from her paw, once again sitting up straight in her seat before taking a sip of her tea with both paws. The drink sizes at the café were designed with slightly larger animals in mind, but it was just a few-minute walk from the precinct and the food and drinks were some of the best in Savanna Central, so it quickly became one of the favorites of the officers at the station, in addition to a hot spot for those mammals that happened to pass by during the day.

"In that case, what _are_ you going to do tonight, then?" Judy questioned after placing the paper cup back down in front of her. "You can't just go home and watch movies every night. You're already starting to gain some weight," she laughed as she poked and prodded his belly a few times under the table. He twitched at her touch and playfully batted her paws away, legs curling up to protect his abused midsection. He playfully retaliated with a soft kick to her chair, making her jerk up, before responding.

"Well. I was going to have a guys' night out with Finnick, but something came up." He intentionally remained vague about his fox friend around Judy in an attempt to protect them both. Nick and Finnick had managed to keep up a friendship after he had gone straight, but that meant a lot of half-truths and non-answers. Nick had been clear with the smaller fox and told him that he could get in big trouble if he ignored crimes that came to his attention. He also mentioned however, that if he didn't know about anything going on, there wasn't anything he could do, thanks to the standards of evidence he was required to provide. For that reason, they'd come to an unspoken agreement that gave Nick some level of plausible deniability of any wrongdoing.

"Nick," Judy interjected, "there's so much more to do in this city besides hopping between seedy bars! You could always check out one of the museums. I hear there's a cool exhibit at the ZMFA," she offered, hoping to pique his curiosity.

"Carrots," he droned, one eyebrow raised, "I used to be a docent for extra cash at all the major museums in the city." He gave a little shake of his hand before he continued. "Well, not officially, but it's easy to memorize fun facts and offer cheap tours." His smirk came back full force at remembering some of his earlier antics.

"Okay," Judy said quietly, paw going to her chin as she contemplated some other ideas. "You could always take a dance class," she exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe impress some vixens," she teased while wiggling her eyebrows.

"You think I need fancy moves to woo ladies?" he asked, putting a hint of mock hurt into his voice. "For your information, hip-hop, I learned how to dance years ago. You wouldn't believe how useful a skill like that is. I'll take you out sometime and teach you some moves," he breathed out in the huskiest voice he could manage, followed by a wink. They were both quiet for a second before they were unable to hold back a bout of laughter at Nick's faux pick-up line.

"Alright," Judy managed between breaths, finally calming down. "But how about learning a new language? There are over 100 different languages spoken in Zootopia after all." She easily recited, proud of the information she studied regarding the metropolis that she thought would make her a better representative of the city. "I've been working on some Spanish during down time in the office." Her chest puffed out a bit at the statement.

"L'ho fatto già." His smirk painted itself back on his face when he saw the look of astonishment overtake her face and her chest deflate. He chuckled a bit before continuing. "Lavoravo per signore Big. Non ti ricordi?" His years doing odd jobs for Mr. Big were made much easier with a basic understanding of Italian, an opportunity he quickly took advantage of once he found himself in that position.

"Uh, okay…" Judy began, a little shocked by the realization, but quickly got back to coming up with ideas of things to do before she was interrupted by Nick again.

"Look, I appreciate the concern, Carrots," Nick spoke quietly, and seemingly without a trace of sarcasm, surprising both of them. "But I've done a lot of these things. I know everyone, remember?" he joked before his face became stoic again. "I just…I want to do something to help out, you know?"' His eyebrows creased a bit in the middle, and his eyes were lost in thought. "Ever since I put on this uniform, I've felt like I need to make up for everything I've done: cons, scams, hustles, you name it. Kind of like my own personal debt that I'm trying to pay off."

He looked up just in time to see the rabbit's face shoot up for barely a fraction of a second in realization before it fell down into what he recognized as hesitation, with her eyes down, shoulders slightly hunched, and her front teeth softly biting her lip. Really, she made it too easy for him, and he no longer felt the need to approach those situations with tact after working together for so long.

"You might as well just say it, Hopps, because you sure as hell can't hide it," he said, surprising her as he once again donned his playful smirk and waited patiently. She hesitated only a minute before turning her body to reach into her back pocket and pull out what looked like a pamphlet. Her eyes were locked on it for a while as she tried to choose her words.

"Well, I forgot until just now. I picked this up earlier today while we were patrolling central." She slowly handed him the tri-folded paper before dropping her arms back down. Nick's eyes wandered over the colorful pamphlet, his face shifting to a slight frown when he recognized the letters on the front: JRS, Junior Ranger Scouts.

Judy saw his expression change and quickly spoke up again. "I know you had a bad history with them, but I saw this and noticed they were looking for someone to help as an assistant pack leader." Her voice was quiet, and she didn't make eye contact with Nick as she spoke. "I thought that maybe," she sighed, "you could help those kids learn how to be good mammals." She put her paw over his. "Like you."

Nick stuttered a bit, something he hadn't done for years. He caught himself, feeling a bit of humiliation at letting this affect him so much, and closed his mouth to simply think about things for a second. He pulled his paw away from hers to open the pamphlet. The familiar green uniforms reminded him of that day years ago, but he had to admit to himself that ever since then, he had always still held some type of nostalgia for the group.

"I don't know, Ju…" he began to say, but before he could finish, the bunny interrupted, probably in an attempt to delay what she assumed would be a rejection to the idea.

"They have a meeting tonight at 2389 Willow St." she recited, obviously having read the pamphlet entirely before their meeting. "It's a few hours once a week, and there's no obligation to keep going if you don't like it," she continued, almost like a negotiation. "Nick," she whispered, looking into his eyes with all the determination she could muster. "I think this would be really good for you. At least you would be able to confront those memories, and I'm only asking you to go one time."

She reached out and held his left paw with both of her own, eyes looking into his and simply awaiting his response. He took another glance at the pamphlet in his right paw. Part of him wanted nothing to do with the group, but he suddenly noticed one of the pups in the image. It was a group of six mammals, but he was most concerned with a small wolf pup: the only predator in the group. He was smiling: the same type of smile Nick became so good at when he was younger. It was a smile that begged you to believe that everything was fine, while hiding the fact that it wasn't. It's what he had given every mammal for years when they had asked about this or that, and he hadn't trusted them enough to let them in.

He put down the pamphlet with a bit of sadness in his eyes, and Judy's ears dropped slightly on recognizing that look of hesitant rejection. She opened her mouth a bit to say something, when she was interrupted by his voice instead. "Okay, I'll go," he announced, and she watched a smug grin slide back onto his face, and an eyebrow pop up. Her surprise lasted only a moment before she could properly react.

Nick laughed heartily as small paws slapped his arms a few times. "You jerk!" Judy scolded. "I was so worried you'd say 'no,' and all this time you were messing with me!" The last statement was punctuated by a final slap to his arm, followed by the bunny crossing her arms and pouting slightly, head turned away from the fox. He laughed for another minute, while Judy continued to ignore him after the joke he had played. It wasn't until she felt a soft paw on her shoulder that she turned back to see an honest smile played across his muzzle.

"Thanks, Judy," he stated. All the annoyance she had felt just seconds ago washed away, and she couldn't hide her own smile, as much as she wanted to make him feel guilty for the prank. She picked up her tea and gulped down the rest of it, wiping her lips of the leftover before regarding him again.

"Alright, I think it's time we get back to work, before I have to sit through anymore of your mushy fox feelings," she heckled. They threw down a few bills, deposited their cups into a trash can, and began their walk back to the station to finish the rest of their day and prepare for the evening ahead.

—

Hello everyone! I didn't really want to have authors notes at the end of every chapter, but I was pleasantly surprised by the response in such a short time! Thanks to everyone who favorited and reviewed the story and started following me! I unfortunately won't be posting chapters as quickly as other authors do, but I'll try to keep the momentum going forward.

Which brings me to the real reasons I'm writing this now; I'm in need of an editor. I go through my own multiple draft and edit process, but it's always easy to mistype something and overlook it, and that's not even mentioning that I might not really how something I've written might not make sense, as i already have the whole image in my head.

if you're interested, just send me a pm, and we'll discuss details. Thanks again for the love so far, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!


	2. The Interview

Just a quick thanks to Flame of the Dark for proofreading for me, and to all youse peoples who read and gave me reviews, likes, follows, all that stuff. You're the best!

—

After finally completing his shift, Nick had quickly returned to his apartment and thrown on a simple button down shirt and dark blue jeans. He was going to be meeting with the current troop leader, but he figured there was no need to really dress up. The walk had been fairly pleasant, with a couple quick waves and greetings to acquaintances keeping him from dwelling on where he was headed. Nick now looked up at the very familiar brick building that stood intimidating and still in front of him. He vividly remembered running up those stairs twenty years ago, heart overflowing with excitement, and he remembered just as vividly the anguish and pain he felt running down those stairs only a few minutes later. The feeling of fur being forcefully ripped out of his skin as he desperately yanked to remove the muzzle wasn't easily forgotten.

He shook his head and jumped in place a few times, the motion enough to push most of his memories aside and give him the confidence to begin taking long strides towards the building and up the stairs to the imposing wooden door. The pavement had cooled as the sun had begun to set, leaving Nick's bare paws with a slight chill as he walked to the building from his apartment. It wasn't enough to be uncomfortable: just a tingle of cold in each of his toes. His claws clicked on each concrete step of the stoop, and he counted them in his mind to distract himself from the heavy beating of his heart that seemed to deepen the closer he got to the top.

One.

He felt the heat drain through his paw at the first step. Suddenly, it felt like he had stepped onto an ice-covered lake with the cold bringing on a painful numbness to his extremities. He almost recoiled before he quickly convinced himself that it was entirely psychological and forced his discomfort to the back of his mind again. With a look of determination, he extended his hind paw to the next step.

Two.

His ears flicked around suddenly when he made the realization that all sounds had vanished. It was as if every mammal on the street, and perhaps the whole block, had stopped moving, stopped breathing all at once. It suddenly felt as if no one had ever been there at all: a veritable ghost town. Large, pointed ears swiveled back and forth in search of some sign that he wasn't alone, but all he could hear was his breathing and the thundering of his heart.

Three.

Immediately on that step, he realized he could feel his heart pounding against his ribs with every oxygen-delivering throb. He shot a hand up to his chest as if trying to keep his heart from hammering its way out of his body. Each pump thundered in his ears and, as much as he tried to hide it, made him flinch: barely noticeable to anyone else, but if not for his years hiding himself in plain view, it might as well have been a beacon. He began his leg, part of him wondering how much more he could take, and stretched it towards the next step.

 _Buzz_

Halfway through the movement, a vibration in his pocket gave him exactly the distraction he needed to break free of the psychological block temporarily holding him hostage. The air warmed his freezing body, his ears perked at the welcomed, recognizable sounds of the city going about its business, and his heart seemed to calm to a reasonably acceptable level again. Relieved but slightly confused, he reached into his pocket to check the message waiting for him and was struck with a smirk when he saw it was from his parter.

"Hey, Slick! I just wanted to wish you good luck tonight with the Rangers! I know you might be a little nervous, but they're going to love you! I'm rooting for you! And if you don't get this message until after you're done, then WHY AREN'T YOU CALLING ME TO TELL ME HOW IT WENT?! Anyway, good luck and I'll see you later!"

He founding himself smiling. He would have to thank her for pulling him away from the nervous breakdown he was having, even if she didn't even know what was going on. He couldn't imagine how he would have kept going if not for the distraction. Somehow, the remaining steps, while still a bit intimidating, seemed shorter now, and the door closer. He took one more look at the message, took a deep breath, and continued up the stairs while holding his phone tightly in his left hand to remind himself that through it all, his partner had his back.

Finally at the door, he could feel some of the tightness creeping back and warded it off by tightening his grip on the phone still clasped in his paw. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, his other arm coming up to within just inches of the door. He forced the fist forward before he could start to get nervous, and the loud raps almost made him drop the lifeline he kept reminding himself he had. Long seconds passed, him counting in his head, before he could just barely pick up the sound of paws drawing closer to the door. They were still quiet, so he went to check his appearance and slip his phone into his pocket when the creaking of the door made him jump and let out a yelp.

The door opened all the way to reveal a squirrel, dressed in the Junior Rangers uniform with a patch that read "Pack Leader." It was ironed sharply, and the small mammal stood tall, his shoulders back and chest out. The fur towards the tip of his muzzle looked to be greying slightly, as was the fur around his eyes, but that was overshadowed by the overwhelmingly welcoming smile plastered on his face.

"Hi there!" he greeted cheerily. "What can I do for you?"

Nick watched for any subtle signs of hesitation or fear, and was surprised when he couldn't see one. Prey animals in general, even those like Judy who treated him without the typical outright specism, always showed some indication that were suspicious on first meeting a fox. And if they were smaller, their instincts tended to warn them that he was a threat before the veil of society and civility hid their reactions. For the first time, though, it seemed he had met a mammal who sincerely didn't mind that he was a fox right from the start, and it gave him a feeling of contentment.

"Good evening, sir, my name's Nick Wilde," he introduced himself, shaking the mammal's paw firmly. "I saw this flyer while I was out-and-about earlier," he explained, pulling the pamphlet from his pocket, "and I wanted to ask about helping the scouts out."

"Great!" the squirrel exclaimed. "I'm Martin Sciuro, Pack Leader for Pack 914. Come on in!" He flung the door open and held his arm out, inviting Nick inside. He closed the door and led the fox through the foyer, down a hall lined with pictures of various groups of scouts labeled with the year and names of each scout, and into a small office. Nick could here the muffled voices of young mammals below him, obviously coming from the basement. For a moment, the voices brought back memories from his first and only other experience with the scouts, his fur bristling a bit before he drew his eyes back to the office he found himself in. The middle-aged squirrel popped his head up from the other side of a desk and beckoned him to sit.

"So!" the smaller mammal said adjusting what looked like an application form and notebook on the desk in front of him. "Why don't you start by telling me about yourself! You know, your occupation, age, hobbies, past experience with the scouts..." Nick's heart jump a bit at the last statement, but he figured it would come up, so he wasn't completely off guard. "...and the reason you want to help out. Anything you can tell me to help me get a better picture of 'Nick Wilde'!"

Nick opened his mouth a bit with a smirk, ready to give his pitch, when he felt himself hesitate. In his time working with Judy, he had been trying to learn how to trust the mammals around him a bit more. Even so, he often felt himself drifting back into hustler mode, almost as an instinct. However, he decided earlier that he didn't want to sweet talk his way into this; it didn't feel right. He wanted to start showing the world who he really was.

After a sigh, he began speaking again. "Honestly Mr. Sciuro, it's taken a lot for me to come here today," he explained. "I wanted to be a scout when I was a kid, but I kind of had a bad experience that traumatized me for a while." The squirrel looked like he was about to ask a question before Nick interjected.

"I'd rather not go into specifics, but it turned me into someone I didn't want to be. Luckily I had a friend who helped me move past my old life. I'm in the ZPD now, and I'm trying to make the world a better place, but I also wanted to confront this part of my past." He felt vulnerable telling all this to someone he had only just met, and he looked at the squirrel to judge his expression. The look he saw was one of contemplation, but not pity, which left him, for the second time since he'd met the older mammal, surprised.

"I'm not sure exactly how I could help out," he continued, swallowing some of his nerves, "or even if I have anything of worth to offer. I mean, before a year or so ago, I was basically living day-to-day as a high school dropout." His ears swiveled back and his muzzle dropped to the table slightly. "I guess I just wanted a chance to help the scouts out the way I wish someone had helped me out when I was a kit."

He looked up from the table his eyes had wandered to find the other mammal rubbing the underside of his muzzle with a look like he was trying to solve a vexing math problem. Nick waited in silence for a bit while he watched the squirrel think about everything he had just said. The smaller mammal opened up a nearby notebook, Nick assumed to compare him to the others who had come in for an interview. After a few minutes of watching him flip the pages back and forth and contemplate the likely better options, he saw a smile slowly cross the smaller mammal's face, and he silently gasped as he waited for an answer. Martin hopped on the desk and walked up until he was standing just in front of Nick.

"Welcome to the Junior Ranger Scouts, Mr. Wilde," he proudly stated with an outstretched arm.

Nick just looked, mouth slightly open, as his arm reached out on autopilot, trying to think of something to say. For the second time in a day, his mouth moved without any words, his mind struggling to catch up while he subconsciously shook Mr. Sciuro's paw. His thoughts finally caught up when his paw was finally released.

"Wait...Just like that?" he questioned, still a bit awestruck. "What about the other applicants? How can you say 'yes' so quickly? You do know I'm a fox, right?" Martin's laughter stopped his rambling.

"No, a fox? Really? I though elephants were the ones with the red fur and pointed ears," he joked. "And yes, I had a few other applicants, but you're the only one who seemed to be here for all the right reasons." Nick just gave him a bit of a confused look, so he continued.

"When mammals think of the Junior Ranger Scouts, they imagine the uniform, the hat, the patches, things like that," he explained. "It's the accolades and recognition that brings a lot of mammals in here. They want something they can throw on a resume or impress their neighbors or friends with. Every other applicant made sure to bring those things up because that was what they really wanted, but not you." Martin simply smirked.

"You never had any of those things on your mind, did you?" Nick answered by shaking his head slightly. "No, you were worried about the scouts and making sure they had someone to be there for them. Most forget that all those other things are just tools to help the kits become the best mammals they can be, but you said it yourself; you want to make the world a better place, and you think being a mentor for young mammals is a worthwhile way to do that. That's why I'm choosing you." His talk was punctuated by a firm pat on the arm, causing Nick to smile and shake the squirrel's paw again.

"I really appreciate this Mr. Sciuro. I'll do everything I can to help out."

"Martin is fine, assuming you don't mind me calling you Nick," Martin mentioned.

"Absolutely," Nick responded, "I wouldn't have it any other way. So where do we go from here?" he asked, clapping his paws together in excitement.

"Well, before everything is official, I have to submit your application," Martin said, pulling the application from the other side of the desk and positioning it in front of the fox. "Why don't you fill that out while I go check on the scouts? I'll be up in a bit, then we can see if we have a uniform that fits you and get you ready to start next week. Sound like a plan."

"Sure does. I'll get started," Nick said, putting his pen to the paper to fill out his personal information. He barely heard Martin close the door as he left the room, leaving him on his own for just a bit. He had a hard time keeping his elation contained and he settled on simply letting himself hum a little tune as he worked his way down the application form in front of him.

—

"Well, would you look at that! We've got a fit! Almost like it's been waiting for you," Martin joked, ribbing Nick as he surveyed himself in a uniform he hadn't worn since he was nine. He still felt a few butterflies born of the trauma of his first experience with it, and his eyes subconsciously scanned the room for the metal and straps his mind told him to expect were coming next, but another part of him stood a bit taller at the sight of himself.

"And I thought the ladies were hard to keep off before," Nick jested, getting a chuckle out of Martin. "Really it's just unfair to all the other tods who thought they might be lucky enough to land a date." He posed exaggeratedly with his typical smirk, making the older mammal put a paw to his face and shake his head a bit, though still unable to suppress his grin.

"On second thought," he said, "that bobcat that came in was a pretty promising candidate." Nick fake gasped at Martin's comment before dropping his head in mock disappointment.

"Grant a guy's dream just to take it away from him. And I thought you were a nice mammal, Martin." The squirrel had to admit that if it weren't for the obvious joking nature of the situation, he might have actually believed the fox was truly dejected. 'One hell of an actor,' he thought to himself. 'Probably did theater in school or something.'

"Alright, Mr. Dramatic, I think we've got everything covered," Martin said, attempting to get back to business. "I'll give you a call later this week once the application is accepted." The small mammal looked completely confident there wouldn't be any problems, though Nick still had his doubts. "And starting next week, we'll introduce you to the scouts and give you a crash course!" His perky, optimistic demeanor, continued to pull a smile out of the fox, almost beyond his control. Almost.

"So before I go back downstairs for the rest of their meeting, is there anything else you think you need?"

"Actually," the fox considered, "I was wondering if you could give me a little extra reading to prepare for next week..."

—

Finally reaching the last step, Judy let out a tired, though content, sigh at the sight of the apartment door. It was always great when she got a chance to see some of her family, and she really was happy for them. It was just emotionally exhausting sometimes when all her sisters seemed to be on the same page when it came to kits, relationships, etc. while her idea of happiness was the feeling that came when she finally put all the pieces together in a tough case.

Her paw reached into her pocket automatically to grab her keys as she let out a quiet yawn, happily imagining a good night's sleep before heading back to the precinct early the next morning. She put the keys in the lock, quickly running through some leads she would check first thing the next morning when she realized the door was already unlocked.

"Nick?" she called quietly as she opened the door, closing it behind her and locking it before heading further inside. After the Nighthowler's case, Judy had needed to find a new apartment, and renting together had been less expensive for both of them. And if she was being completely honest, her rabbit instincts made living on her own feel extremely lonely, so instead of putting an ad out for another mammal she didn't know at all, she had convinced Nick to be her roommate.

"Right in here, fluff," she heard him respond. Dropping her things, she began following his voice.

"How did things go tonight?" She turned the corner into their den and stopped at seeing the fox dressed in green, a red neckerchief around his neck and a hat with "JRS" embroidered on the front resting on the coffee table in front of him. A small gasp left her before she could stop it at the sight of him.

"I don't know," he answered with a bit of pride bleeding into his words. "How do you think it went?" He motioned with one paw to himself, the other on his hip as he asked smugly.

"Oh my god, Nick!" she exclaimed mid leap to wrap him in a quick hug. She pulled away to look him up and down again, seemingly more excited about it than he was. The questions started coming out all at once, asking about what happened, what they were like, and if they had given him any trouble, among other things. It took one of his paws holding her mouth shut to get it to stop, though he could still hear her mumbles through his paw as she tried to ask more.

"So, did you want me to actually answer any of those questions, or do you just like interrogating mammals?" When he let go, she had finally calmed down enough for him to tell her about his evening, from receiving her text (which she predictably shrugged of as nothing, even when he insisted otherwise) to his discussion with Martin about why he wanted to join. Judy's tail fluttered quickly back and forth the whole time, and an elephant probably couldn't have forced her ears down from their perky, upright position. Her eyes glanced over to the coffee table where a few manuals and a number of folders sat, all with the JRS logo prominently displayed.

"Sure looks like they gave you a lot of homework," she casually mentioned, motioning to the stacks of paper.

"It's not so much," he assured her. "And actually," he said, lifting up the set of folders, "this was all the extra stuff I asked for." The bunny approached them curiously and flipped one open.

"What are they?" She was greeted with the picture of a young squirrel, female, on the first page.

"Just a little basic information about each of the kits in the pack," he explained: six files in all, Judy noticed. "I may not be a huckster anymore," he joked, "but I still like to be a little prepared."

Judy looked up from the folders to her partner and was struck by how different he looked while still looking exactly the same: That same smirk slapped across his muzzle, showing just the slightest view of his fangs. Those same emerald green eyes, half-lidded, showing off that annoying, yet charming ego. That same lazy slouch that seemed to suggest there was nothing left in the world that could surprise him.

His grin, however, seemed to stretch just a fraction more towards his ears, making his whole smile seem brighter. The parts of his eyes she could see peaking out from behind his eyelids looked more lively and confident than normal, even for Nick. And even pushing through his laid back posture, she could see his shoulders pulled back just enough to make his chest look wide and more pronounced.

'In fact,' she mused, 'the last time he seemed so happy was during the Police Academy graduation.' She quickly stood up and gave him another big hug, surprising him for just a second before he returned it.

"Oh, Nick," she squeaked, "I'm so happy for you!" She released him enough to give him a quick, light punch on the arm, something Nick always complained about, but would never admit he liked. "Those kits are gonna wonder what they ever did without you."

"I know," he replied without missing a beat. "I just don't want them to be discouraged when they realize they could never live up to the impossibly high standards I've set." He shrugged as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Oh yes, if only we could all strive to sleep in a friend's van and sell pawpsicles for 15 years," Judy mocked while rolling her eyes.

"A life of luxury!" He threw his arms up to express his pseudo-frustration. "And I gave all that up because you couldn't handle your job without a dashing rogue following you to pick up all the pieces," he vented throwing a wink her way at the mention of "dashing." He pointed a claw at her, smirking. "I really hope you appreciate all I've given up for you."

"What I'll appreciate," she retorted with a giggle, "is you shutting that muzzle of yours long enough that I can actually get some sleep!" She gave the fox a gentle shove before turning around to head to bed. "Try not to stay up too late studying, Nick," she added, whirring around to face him one last time. "We've got a big day tomorrow, so I can't have you fighting the sleepys the whole time!"

"You should stop worrying so much, or you're going to get grey fur." He looked at her and gave a mock gasp. "Oh no, we're too late!" All this earned from the lapin was a raised eyebrow and crossed arms with the sound of slow, quiet thumps to punctuate her message. Nick conceded, reverting back to a relaxed stance and waving a paw to dissipate her worry.

"Yes, mom, I'll make sure to get to bed early," he assured her, and with that she wished him a good night and left the room for some well deserved sleep.

When she had finally disappeared down the hall, Nick turned back to the paperwork, rubbed his hands together, and sat down on the couch before reopening the first file.

'Alright,' he thought, 'let's see what types of mammals I'm gonna be working with.'


End file.
